ITV Launch Great Art Series

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canalettothe impressionistsmichelangelorembrandtvermeergirl with a pearl earringvenicethe royal academy of artsexhibition on screenseventh art productionsnational galleryrijksmuseumpaul durand-ruelthe royal collection trustbaroque

Published

December 18, 2017

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This January, ITV will show Great Art, a five-part series produced by Seventh Art Productions exploring the life and work of the world's most celebrated artists.

Premiering on ITV on January 4th 2018, the weekly series will offer an in-depth look at iconic artists including Canaletto, the Impressionists, Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Vermeer.

Each 50-minute episode will reveal unique insights into the life of the artists, from exploring the places they lived and worked to uncovering their formative relationships through private letters. Great Art will also provide privileged access to the artists’ masterpieces, going behind-the-scenes at the world’s leading museums.

Great Art is introduced by curator and broadcaster Tim Marlow, Artistic Director of The Royal Academy of Arts, and features a host of eminent art experts, providing the perfect guides to history’s artistic greats.

Tim said: “I am delighted to be introducing this series of excellent films for ITV. The appetite for the arts in this country goes from strength to strength and I know ITV’s Great Art will find a wide and appreciative audience.”

The series is commissioned for ITV by Jo Clinton-Davis, Controller of Factual and Sue Murphy, Head of Factual Entertainment.

Jo Clinton-Davis said: “Shot through with passion and expertise in equal measure, these films tell compelling stories which enrich our understanding of those artists and the art which have most profoundly influenced our cultural heritage.”

The series is adapted from full-length feature films originally released in cinemas under EXHIBITION ON SCREEN. Phil Grabsky, Executive Producer of Seventh Art Productions, said:

“Over the last twenty years my team, at Seventh Art Productions, and I have made countless art films for TV and cinema, most notably the international film series EXHIBITION ON SCREEN. But I am especially delighted to be bringing the Great Art series to ITV, who fully support us in the desire to make wonderful art and artists' biographies as widely seen and enjoyed as possible. I hope these first two seasons, consisting of five films each, are the first of many, allowing the public to continue discovering and appreciating truly great art."

Notes to Editors

Interviews are available with Phil Grabsky.

To watch a preview of Episode One Canaletto & the Art of Venice at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace - and a short compilation clip featuring material from each film in the series, please register to ITV Press Preview at www.itv.com/PressCentre/user and we will grant access.

CANALETTO & THE ART OF VENICE AT THE QUEEN’S GALLERY, BUCKINGHAM PALACE - 4th January

Great Art will open with an episode dedicated to The Royal Collection Trust’s unparalleled collection of works by Venice’s famous view-painter Canaletto. Stepping inside the royal residences of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, it reveals how the world’s largest Canaletto collection made its home in Britain. The episode also captures the essence and allure of Venice, embarking on a 21st century Grand Tour to reveal how Canaletto’s art was influenced by the great Italian city.

THE IMPRESSIONISTS AND THE MAN WHO MADE THEM - 11th January

Great Art takes a look at 19th century Parisian collector Paul Durand-Ruel, whose continual support, championing, and financial backing established one of the most loved and recognisable movements in Western art. From supporting the struggling Impressionists through hardship and derision in Paris, to exhibiting their revolutionary work in America, Durand-Ruel’s determination to bring the likes of Monet and Degas the worldwide recognition they sought is brought to life.

MICHELANGELO – LOVE AND DEATH - 18th January

The series’ third episode goes in search of a greater understanding of the ‘original celebrity artist’ - Michelangelo. The episode is a gripping exploration of this charismatic and enigmatic figure, from his fame to near arrest, and creative frustration to sexual freedom, charted through the great chapels and museums of Florence, Rome and the Vatican.

REMBRANDT FROM THE NATIONAL GALLERY AND RIJKSMUSEUM - 25th January

Episode four explores Rembrandt’s remarkable creative energy, offering exclusive access to landmark exhibitions of his work at two of Europe’s leading museums. Audiences will experience the passion, emotion and innovation of this Dutch master, guided by the exhibition’s curators.

GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING - 1st February

Great Art closes with an episode which pursues the many unresolved riddles surrounding one of the world’s favourite paintings and its mysterious creator Vermeer. Who was this girl? And why and how was she painted?